Missing Stories

Artwork by Shelah Horvitz

When people look at Horvitz’s paintings, they want to know the story. What is the bear looking at? Where is the owl going? Why? We make sense of the world through the stories we tell ourselves about our lives. Our stories reflect our passions, show our outlooks, and reveal our blind spots. The stories we tell are our self-portraits.

Horvitz’s paintings remind us of cave paintings, of children’s book illustrations, of religious paintings. They allude to times when our belief is pure and raw. But they have no easy answers. Her animals are neither cuddly nor vicious, they just are, trying to get by on their own terms, as we are. Her landscapes are open and full of menace or potential, depending on how you look at them. The story her painting triggers is your story, and it will change from view to view.

So when you look at one of Horvitz’s paintings, you may find yourself looking at yourself, at your most vulnerable, and at your most heroic. The story continues beyond the painting.

Exhibition dates: November 1–29, 2013
Opening Reception: Saturday November 9, 6–9PM
3rd Thursday Party: November 21, 6–9pm